I'm starting this thread to see if anyone has ever had any problems with giving their chicks or adult chickens garlic extract in the water (I've been using Kyolic brand liquid extract).
I have never had any problems with giving my chickens garlic powder in their food (no random deaths with outside flock since starting garlic powder). However I started giving my chicks garlic extract in their water as a part of my protocol of vitamins/minerals/electrolytes, ACV and oregano oil (shaken thoroughly). I started having problems with chicks randomly dying (almost one a day for a week). Some died randomly (no symptoms except for death twitches at the point of death) while others breathed funny for a couple of days or waddled and then keeled over in my quarantine brooder. I do think one death was due to a drafty room one night when I left the windows open to cool down the house (I have since covered three sides of the brooder with blankets at night) and 1-2 deaths were potentially due to underbite beaks (or at least did not HELP them).
Right now I have several chicks that are all ruffled up and sort of weak. They are eating and drinking well, but I'm worried they might have gotten anemia from the garlic in the water. (it wasn't huge amounts, but it was in there consistently for several weeks)
Also I have had a higher incidence of weak legs in this batch of chicks than in any other batch I've raised.
I've changed everyone's bedding and given water without garlic (and I ran out of ACV) and given them all fresh food. Hopefully they will all recover just fine. I'm considering giving them some ground beef for the iron.
If anyone has any experience with something similar or has any thoughts on this, I would very much appreciate hearing it!
It's always the worst when an animal dies and you suspect it was your fault.
I have never had any problems with giving my chickens garlic powder in their food (no random deaths with outside flock since starting garlic powder). However I started giving my chicks garlic extract in their water as a part of my protocol of vitamins/minerals/electrolytes, ACV and oregano oil (shaken thoroughly). I started having problems with chicks randomly dying (almost one a day for a week). Some died randomly (no symptoms except for death twitches at the point of death) while others breathed funny for a couple of days or waddled and then keeled over in my quarantine brooder. I do think one death was due to a drafty room one night when I left the windows open to cool down the house (I have since covered three sides of the brooder with blankets at night) and 1-2 deaths were potentially due to underbite beaks (or at least did not HELP them).
Right now I have several chicks that are all ruffled up and sort of weak. They are eating and drinking well, but I'm worried they might have gotten anemia from the garlic in the water. (it wasn't huge amounts, but it was in there consistently for several weeks)
Also I have had a higher incidence of weak legs in this batch of chicks than in any other batch I've raised.
I've changed everyone's bedding and given water without garlic (and I ran out of ACV) and given them all fresh food. Hopefully they will all recover just fine. I'm considering giving them some ground beef for the iron.
If anyone has any experience with something similar or has any thoughts on this, I would very much appreciate hearing it!
It's always the worst when an animal dies and you suspect it was your fault.
